Famous United Airlines Gripe Sparks Startup Idea

Musician Dave Carroll made headlines in 2009 when he posted a YouTube video complaining about United Airlines. He has since started up a company called Gripevine.

Musician Dave Carroll made headlines in 2009 when he posted a video to YouTube complaining about how his guitar was broken during a United Airlines flight and the airline company’s poor response.

Now the man behind one of Time Magazine’s “2010 Top Ten Most Viewed YouTube Videos,” United Breaks Guitars, is working on a startup that aims to help connect disgruntled consumers with businesses so they can work out their differences.

Gripevine.com is a free website where consumers are invited to post complaints, or “gripes,” about shopping and customer-service experiences. For example, a consumer recently posted a gripe claiming that a national bus company failed to dispatch a bus to a scheduled stop or provide assistance in finding an alternative route. Users can also post compliments and reviews.

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